Branded
by neo-chan
Summary: Tai's bored. Matt wants a tattoo. Uh oh. [rated for cursing] [Oneshot]


A/N: Random little thing... figured I might as well post it, it's just been sitting around for a while and I don't know why...

**Branded**  
by: nEo-cHaN

"I promise it won't hurt."

"If I die, you're not getting any of my stuff."

Yamato received a mock-hurt look.

"You don't trust me?"

Yamato glared at his friend and Tai held up his hands in defense. Yamato shook his head and sighed.

"I know I'm gonna regret this."

"Yeah, yeah. Now take off your shirt and turn around."

Yamato complied, pulling his white tank top over his head and turning to face the bathroom mirror. He placed his palms on the counter, leaning on it a bit.

Matt could hear Tai preparing things behind him. "You'd better know what you're doing."

"I do, I told you- my cousin taught me."

"Really consoling."

Tai fiddled around for a few more seconds. "Okay. You ready?"

"I thought it wasn't gonna hurt."

"I was just asking if you were ready."

"Would I be standing here like this if I wasn't?"

"I don't know, would you?"

Yamato turned and gave Tai a look.

"Okay, I'm shutting up. Turn around and get rea- uh, just turn around."

Matt turned back around and leaned on the counter on his elbows.

"Thirty seconds. After that I'm leaving this bathroom. Hurry up."

"Okay, okay!" Matt felt a hand on his back, then Tai paused. "...wait a second. Are you losing your nerve?"

"No."

Tai grinned. "That answer was too quick. You're scared!"

"Well who wouldn't be! You're insane! And **I'm** insane for letting you do this! And for the record, I- AAH!"

Yamato jerked and then Tai jerked and Yamato yelped and whirled abruptly, knocking the tools out of Tai's hands.

"You idiot! That fucking **hurt**!"

"Well, what did you expect! These things **do** usually hurt, you know!"

If looks could kill, Tai would have dropped dead that instant.

"If I didn't mind the thought of jail..."

"Death threats. I love death threats, they're very sexy." Tai took one look at Matt's face and quickly changed his tune. "Okay, I'm sorry. It's gonna hurt. So if you cry like a baby, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"You are so lucky that I would get in trouble for strangling you."

"We gonna get this over with or what? C'mon, turn around."

"I must really be crazy," Yamato muttered and turned around.

"Okay. I'm not even gonna **begin** to ask if you're ready." Tai hesitated. "...**are** you?"

"Tai!"

"Okay!"

Yamato jerked again, but didn't say anything more. Actually, he was completely silent for the whole time. And sort of limp.

"Okay, all done!" Tai admired his work for a moment. He shook his head. "Man, I'm good. Matt?" He prodded his friend in the side.

Matt didn't budge. Tai ran the tap for a moment and sprinkled a bit of water over Matt's face. "Matt? Hello? Anyone home?"

No answer. Tai shrugged. "Okay.. Well, let's get you out of here."

Tai lifted Matt off of the counter and held him propped up against the bathroom door. He shook his head with a smirk.

"Passed out. I am never going to let you forget about this."

Tai hauled his blonde friend through the hallway and into his room. He placed Matt on the bed, then stepped back and shook his head again.

"Wuss."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Yamato opened his eyes a short while later. He frowned slightly, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Look who's awake."

Yamato looked up and saw Tai leaning against the doorframe and... smirking?

"You passed out," Tai said. Yup, that was definitely a smirk.

Yamato ignored the look he was receiving from Tai and stood up, walking to the bathroom. He turned and craned his neck in the mirror to see the image of an eagle in the middle of his lower back.

"Nice, huh?" Tai came to join him. "I told you I could do it."

"I still wanna know how," Matt said. "I can't believe it turned out so well."

"I told you it would." Tai took a step closer. "As for **how**.. like I said, my cousin showed me. He assured me it would work 'cause he already used it on a bunch of his friends... and himself."

"Who in their right mind builds a tattoo gun?" Yamato muttered, shaking his head.

"Someone who knows someone crazy enough to use it on." Tai grinned.

Matt shook his head again, this time cracking a smile. "Guess so. So how'd you make it?"

"Well..." Tai picked up the "gun". "It took a pen, a guitar string, a toothbrush, an eraser, a motor from a discman, and some tape.

"Forget it, sounds as insane as I thought."

"It might be insane but it works, right?"

"Guess so." Matt took his shirt from the counter. "I'm not supposed to put this back on yet, right? 'Cause it might smudge?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't if I were you."

"And I've gotta do all that protection shit and all, right?"

"Yeah... but the professionals exaggerate. No one does everything they say for as long as they say."

Yamato shrugged. "As long as it stays on my body and looks this way, I don't care."

"Sounds good. Now put on your shirt and let's go show it off."

Yamato rolled his eyes and pulled on his shirt.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"You guys are crazy," Mimi said, shaking her head. "Did it hurt?"

"He passed out," Tai provided gleefully. Matt pushed him playfully.

"He practically shoved the needle into my skin!"

"Oh, c'mon, it can't hurt **that** much."

Yamato gave Tai a look. "Are you fucking **insane**! Do **you** want to try it!"

"Actually, yeah."

"Do it!" Mimi exclaimed.

Tai raised an eyebrow at Matt. "You wanna do it for me?"

"If he won't, **I** will!" Mimi volunteered.

"I don't even know how to use the thing." Matt protested.

"So you'll learn. C'mon, it's easy!"

"I'll never be able to do a design properly. I'm not as artistic as you. My art is music, not drawing."

"Well I can't do it to myself. And Mimi, we all know that your drawing is limited. Abstract doesn't count."

"So get someone else to do it," Matt said. "Like your cousin."

"But then I'll have to wait! I promise it'll be simple, like... like... okay, I'll call him up."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Tai admired his left arm the next day. It was a complicated design on his upper arm with an artistic dragon and cool letters that spelled out 'Taichi'.

Tai shook his head. "Man, you're good."

Tai's cousin, Kade, shrugged. "I've had practice." Kade turned to Yamato. "So, he branded you?"

Matt nodded. "I don't know how he convinced me." He lifted up his shirt to show Kade the tattoo.

"Pretty good. You should add something though. It's pretty plain."

Some time later, the eagle had a vine wrapped around it and Yamato's name beneath it. Both satisfied, Tai and Matt hung with Kade for a short while later. They saw all of his many tattoos(all done at home except for one), then went back to Tai's house after visiting all of their friends and showing their tattoos off.

"Kade's good," Tai remarked that evening, looking at his arm.

Matt nodded. "I can't believe he did some of his own himself."

"Kade's insane. Literally. He was either high or drunk or both each time, I guarantee."

"Probably better... you wouldn't feel the pain as much."

"Hey, you didn't pass out!" Tai realized and grinned. "Man, if you had? Kade never would've let you live it down."

"He's more experienced than you. He's better at it."

"So what, you're telling me it didn't hurt?"

"It hurt, just not as much."

"Well once I get more practice..."

Yamato gave Taichi a look. "Don't push your luck."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**


End file.
